


Their Little

by LumosLyra, MinnyMcGee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftercare, Daddy Dom/Little Girl, Daddy Draco, Daddy Kink, Daddy Theo, Dating, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Muggle Technology, Multi, Mutual Pining, Near Death Experiences, Polyamory, Snogging, Spanking, Standing in the Corner, Stuffed Toys, Swimming, Trust Issues, dd/lg, frilly dresses, little Hermione
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:54:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22356736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumosLyra/pseuds/LumosLyra, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinnyMcGee/pseuds/MinnyMcGee
Summary: Hermione Granger has a secret that very few people know about.  She likes frilly dresses, finds comfort in stuffed animals, and colors with crayons to make pretty pictures.  The only problem is, this little has no one to take care of her.  Enter two wizards determined to make her theirs.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott
Comments: 123
Kudos: 464





	1. Secret Revealed

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to the triad group on facebook for giving me the confidence to even get this first chapter out!

_**I OWN NOTHING OTHER THAN THE STORY everything harry potter related is owned by jkrowling and warner bros, i am also not making anything from this** _

Chapter One

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June 8th 2000

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**

Hermione forwent going back to Hogwarts after the war. How could she? After all she had witnessed, her contributions to the death and destruction that took place in its once hallowed halls, notwithstanding, she no longer felt safe within the walls of the ancient castle. Instead she took the Ministry up on testing out and ended her educational career with seven NEWTS and a position in the Ministry as a lawyer representing magical creatures. 

Despite the fact that she enjoyed her job, something was missing in Hermione’s life but it wasn’t something she could easily put her finger on. She knew she missed her easy, carefree childhood (not that she'd had much of one past age eleven) as well as her parents. Any hope she had of locating her parents died when the last trail led her to California, a previously rented apartment in their names, and no forwarding address. 

After the final battle, she and Ron had tried to make it work for all of two weeks, quickly finding that it just wasn't in the cards for them. They were just too different to make a successful go of things and their break-up caused so much tension between them they could not be near one another without an argument starting over the most miniscule things.. Harry, of course, still came by when he wasn't on assignment for the DMLE and they were still as close as siblings could be. He and Ron remained friends but were not as close as they had been before the war. The catalyst seemed to have been when Ron abandoned them in the middle of winter during their Horcrux hunt since nothing had truly been the same since then. The only other friend she had was Theodore Nott, her former classmate whom she had worked with for almost a year now, Theo being the only other creature lawyer in wizarding Britain.

Two friends, no family, no boyfriend, and a job that paid the bills.

So, here she was, living alone in a flat above a small bookstore just outside of London. It wasn't much but it was all she needed. One bedroom with a cozy en suite bathroom, a spacious living room that opened to the kitchen, but what sold her on the flat was the set of large bay windows she had eagerly turned into a reading nook complete with large plush cushions and a few blankets. It was small, but it was home. 

It was one of her many days off and the only company she was expecting was Theodore Nott who was bringing the new case files by her flat that afternoon. Hermione reasoned that since he (and Harry) already knew her secret, she was able to slip into a different headspace for a while and do the only thing that seemed to relax her these days. 

After a cotton candy scented bubble bath, she tied her curls into bunches high on her crown and embellished them with pretty pink ribbons. Hanging her towel on a nearby hook to dry, Hermione put on her white cotton panties with ruffles lining the bum and her light pink dress with frills cascading down the front and a skirt that poofed out so much her panties were nearly on display. It was her favorite because it had pockets and she could happily store all manner of little goodies in there. After a small twirl in the mirror, she pulled on her white and pink striped knee high cable-knit socks, grabbed her coloring book and crayons, and went to the living room to flop into her pile of stuffies, letting all the tension in her body release with a giant sigh. 

**  
  
**

* * *

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**

The sound of someone coming through the floo caused Hermione to startle awake, bunches askew and her face flushed with sleep. Knowing it was either Theo or Harry, the only two who used her floo connection at all, she did not bother moving but rather reached up to rub her eyes with the hand that wasn't clutching Sir Sickle VonFluff the Third, a stuffed niffler Harry had bought her while they were still in Hogwarts. 

"Hey Hermione, I bro..." Theo froze while the sound of the floo igniting filled the room for a second time as he caught sight of Hermione on the floor before him. The entire room seemed to still as none other than her school yard bully stepped from the flickering green fire and onto the hearth. 

"Theo what's going... Oh." Draco had to stop himself from a collision course with Theo's back when he caught sight of Hermione in her frilly pink outfit surrounded by a pile of stuffed animals. 

Hermione's eyes went wide in fear and her bottom lip began to tremble as she tried gallantly to hold back the rush of tears. 

Theo stepped towards her slowly, standing tall and after clearing his throat, spoke in a soft but firm voice. "Now, Mia. You know we have work to do today." Her terrified eyes drifted to Draco until Theo cleared his throat once more to get her attention. "Go get changed into your big girl things. We are going to lunch."

"B-But..." Hermione began a feeble protest in a voice that very well could have belonged to a field mouse for all the power it contained. As her body shook with fear her eyes swam with tears, fighting desperately to keep them from falling. 

"No buts, little one." Theo took another step forward and extended a hand to pull her gently from the floor. "Up you get, go change, I will deal with this."

Her pace was so frantic that Hermione almost ran from the room, throwing herself into her bedroom trying desperately to keep her tears contained. Draco Malfoy of all people now knew her secret. 

_Why did Theo bring him? He is going to make fun of me and tell everyone!_

As much as she tried not to, Hermione was unable to stem the flow of tears as they trickled down her cheeks in wide rivulets as she forced herself to remove layer after layer of ruffled safety.

* * *

"What the hell was that Nott?" Draco stared incredulously at the man he’d called his best friend since they were toddlers. 

Theo sighed and sat on the couch patting the cushion next to him in a bid to get Draco to sit as he mentally prepared himself to have a conversation he never anticipated . With a dismissive wave of his hand, Draco refused to sit and stood in front of the sandy haired wizard, arms crossed over his chest. 

"You will not use this to torment her, Draco, ever. Do you fucking understand me?" The words rolled off of Theo’s tongue like a thunderstorm, thick and low with the promise of danger. 

"Yeah? How about telling me exactly what _this_ is first?" Draco threw his hand up gesturing to the pile of stuffed animals where Hermione had been moments before. He was having an intensely difficult time reconciling the witch he knew from school, the one with the strong right hook who could cast circles around most of their peers, with the one who had sheltered herself amongst a pile of fuzziness in a dress fit for a little girl. 

Theo’s expression brooked no argument as he attempted to explain. "Hermione is a little. The best way I can think of to describe it is age regression which is essentially when someone reverts to a younger state of mind. For Hermione, she goes into this odd, completely brilliant toddler type. When that happens, we call her Mia." Theo ran both hands down his face and locked eyes with his friend, blue eyes meeting gray with leveled gaze. "Draco I am serious. You are not going to make her feel bad about this. You know as well as I do that everyone has their own way of coping after the war. You drink, I gamble, and she… she colors and plays with toys."

With a shake of his head, Draco finally spoke,"You know I'm not that guy anymore, Theo. If anything, it's kind of adorable, to be honest.” His shoulders rolled in a shrug while his lip quirked up in a half-smile. “Did you see that dress? She looked like one of the dolls my mother collected before she passed." Draco flopped into the plush armchair arranged by the stuffed animals and picked up the niffler that Hermione had dropped in her haste to get away. "His tail is falling off." Draco observed as he pulled out his wand to fix the toy.

Theo jumped up and stilled his hand, grasping Draco’s wrist firmly before he could cast the spell. 

"No magic on that one mate, it's her favorite. Potter got it for her when he first found out." 

Draco nodded in understanding and gently set the well loved stuffed animal on the top of the pile as they heard Hermione's bedroom door open. 

The witch exited her bedroom slowly wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt with her eyes trained on the carpet as she retrieved her handbag from the nearby counter. After a deep fortifying breath, she raised her head and sent an obviously fake smile in Theo’s direction. "How about that new coffee house that opened up a few blocks away? I heard they have wonderful sandwiches."

Draco stood from the chair in which he was slumped and took a few steps towards the witch, his hands held out in what he hoped was a non-threatening manner. "Granger I-"

"I don't want to hear it Malfoy. I honestly don't even care why you are here." Hermione grabbed her keys from the hook by her door, purse slung over her shoulder as she turned the handle to make her exit, not even daring a look back at the two men in her living room. "You are buying lunch Theo; it's the least you can do right now."

Draco and Theo filed out of the door after Hemione who locked and warded her flat before leading the way down the steps and out of the building. 

As she walked ahead of the two boys her mind was racing, turning over each thought, each fear with brutal scrutiny. How long would it take until the Prophet let loose a story painting her to be a freak? How long until Malfoy made her wish she wasn't born with a slew of cruel words and crushing criticisms? This was exactly why she kept her secret to herself. She had heard it all before: freak, pervert, even _pedophile_ had made the rounds from those who just didn’t understand. Hermione felt like none of those things when she was alone in her own little world. She felt safe and happy in her frilly dresses and ruffled knickers and that was all that mattered, wasn't it? 

Theo jogged to catch up with Hermione, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her from moving farther away from the pair of them. With a gentle press of his hand, Theo turned her to face him, searching her eyes for any sign of her emotional state. "Hermione, you passed the coffee shop. Are you sure you're ok?"

Hermione looked up into his blue eyes, tears stinging the backs of her own while her voice trembled, "Y-yeah I'm alright." She cleared her throat and tried again, forcing her mind to slow as she pushed all of the negative thoughts to the side for the moment. "I'm fine, Theo. I just don't want everyone to know that's all."

Theo wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and led her back to the coffee shop. "I spoke with Draco earlier and he won’t say anything. Plus," Theo leaned down to whisper in her ear, a smirk lining his lips, "he said you looked adorable in your dress."

Coming to the door of the coffee shop, a pretty blush colored Hermione’s cheeks as she realized exactly who was holding the door open for them with no hint of malice in his stormy gray eyes.


	2. The Tantrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry chapter two took a little longer than we thought, but as both Lyra and myself have children, life happens lol.

Chapter 2

  
  
  


June 8th 2000

  
  
  


Theo had taken Hermione home after lunch, once more assuring her that Draco was a respectable wizard and wouldn’t betray her to anyone. Unfortunately, their meeting had been somewhat of a bust. Draco’s house elves were refusing a fair wage and clothes insisting that their lineage went back several centuries of serving the Malfoy family and they certainly weren’t about to take the one article which could thrust them out upon the streets at any time. So, in reality, there was nothing Draco could do.

Draco had said nothing about what he had witnessed in her flat and for that, she was eternally grateful that their conversation consisted of safe topics once their business was concluded.. Maybe he wouldn't try to tear her down. She could hope, anyway. 

Hermione grabbed a book and headed for her reading nook, the bright sun beckoning her as it streamed in through the windows but before she could get comfortable, her floo flared to life for the third time that day. As the emerald flames died, she saw none other than her very best friend in the world, a bespectacled man with messy black hair and a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed happily as she stood and ran to him, book discarded on the ledge. She threw her arms around his waist and drew a deep breath, pressing her face into his chest seeking the comfort of the sage and sandalwood scents which always clung to him. With her face firmly buried in his chest, he heard a very soft, very muffled, "I missed you, bubby."

Drawing his arms around her, one cradling her head, fingertips sunk into thick, rich curls while the other pressed along the planes of her back, Harry hugged her tightly. "I missed you too, Mia."

Without a word, Harry led the small girl in his arms to her bedroom, picking her up and placing her on the bed while he thumbed through her closet seeking one of her few simple frocks. The one he settled on was light blue with a high collar, puff sleeves, and a bow at the back. She complied with his non-verbal request to stand, a simple wave of his hand, and allowed him to assist her with removing her jeans and t-shirt before slipping the soft cotton over her head.

He smoothed the cotton over her hips and began to pull her thick hair into a plait. “What would you like to do, Mia?” 

  
  
  


"Coloring!" Mia exclaimed while bouncing in place, the change in her demeanor bringing a smile to Harry's face. 

Slipping into the role of her older brother had been as natural as breathing once he found her dressed in a pink frock with a crisp white pinafore having a tea party with several stuffed animals in the Room of Requirement during their fifth year. The set up was quite grand with china tea cups, cucumber sandwiches, and little cakes for her guests. She was pouring the tea and chattering on as if it were perfectly typical for a sixteen year old witch to do such things. She’d stiffened for a moment at his presence and then boldly asked Mrs. Snuffles Cinderbottom to shift to the left so he could join their party. If the strongest witch he knew needed to slip into little space for a while, he would help her when she needed him and would never make her feel bad about herself because of it. While Harry wasn’t certain why she needed it at this moment, he was determined to find out in a gentle way. He didn’t want to scare her. 

After all, you needed to be gentle to get information from a toddler, didn't you? 

Retrieving her crayons and princess coloring book from a drawer in the kitchen, Harry led her over to the pile of stuffies and handed her the items after she settled herself in the middle, being careful to open the box to reveal the rainbow within. 

"Would you like something to drink, Mia?" Harry asked the girl at his feet. She was laying on her stomach, feet in the air kicking back and forth as she diligently drew a yellow crayon over a picture of Belle. 

“Juice, please.”

Harry walked to the kitchen and grabbed a green sippy cup from the cupboard, and after he filled it with pumpkin juice, he took it to Hermione in the living room. 

Hermione looked up at him and her smile fell quickly. "Don't want the green one!" She told him, emphatically. "Want the blue sparkles!"

Harry stiffened at her bratty tone. "Mia, I already poured it in the green one, so that's the one you will use."

Hermione locked her whiskey colored eyes on his deep green as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, huffing, "Doesn't match my dress bubby, wants my blue one!"

When in little space, Mia was usually very sweet and playful but this adoption of a bratty tone was a clear indicator that something was bothering her. Her need to be a little right now made much more sense - it wasn’t simply about relaxing and shrugging off her cares of the day, she needed the change in head space because something had clearly happened. The last time she turned bratty, Hermione had lost a house elf case wherein the elf had been returned to the owner and was subsequently beaten to death the next day. 

The only thing he could think to do was call Theo, He’d adopted the role of her brother, not her Daddy, and Harry knew he couldn’t bring himself to be stern with Mia. No matter how hard he tried, he always broke.

Thank Merlin that Theo had a mobile. Harry didn’t fancy trying to deal with his bratty little sister for what could be hours on end if he had to send an owl to find the man.

Discarding the offensive green sippy cup, Harry stepped to the side and fished his mobile out of his pocket. He scrolled through the short list of names with his thumb and selected Theo’s name. 

“Harry?” 

“Hey, Theo,” he said, keeping his eyes on Mia, pouting in her pile of stuffies and glaring daggers at the green sippy cup he’d abandoned nearby. “Did something happen today when you met with Hermione?”

There was a pause and the sound of a glass scraping against a table. “Sort of, why?” 

“Well, Mia isn’t acting like herself. She’s in a bit of a snit over the color of a cup.” 

“Fuck. I’ll be right there.” 

Harry pulled the phone away from his ear after the line went dead and tucked it back into his pocket. He watched with a solemn expression as tears threatened to bubble up out of Mia’s eyes. She’d been pulling at her plait and some of her curls had come loose, giving her a wild, frightened look. Harry hated seeing her like this.

Mia lunged for the offensive cup just as Theo knocked on the door to Hermione’s flat. While he waited for Harry to answer the door, Theo heard Mia yell, “Don’t want the stupid green snake cup!” The door was opened just in time for Theo to catch the green sippy cup before it hit him in the head.

Theo quickly crossed the room leaving Harry to close the door, sippy cup in hand, and knelt before the distraught girl, calling her name very firmly. “Mia, we do not throw things.”

Mia’s lip began to tremble when she heard Theo’s stern tone knowing she was in trouble.

“I d-don’t want the g-green one!” Mia protested, the tears finally bubbling over and rolling down her cheeks as she hid her face into Sir Sickle’s back, her body shaking with soft sobs.

It wasn’t hard to figure out exactly why she was acting like this. She was releasing her frustrations through Mia because she didn’t know how to handle the stress and anxiety of Draco discovering her secret. Theo silently cursed himself for bringing the impatient man through the floo with him earlier that day, even though he knew Draco would keep her secret. He was afraid these little tantrums of Mia’s would continue until she realized how trustworthy Draco really was. She needed to get to know the man Theo called his best friend. She needed to know she was safe with Draco and until that happened, he would just have to do what he could. 

Theo knew that what Hermione really needed was a Daddy, a role he was happy to fulfill for her but she’d made no overtures that it was something she desired. At this moment, even without a Daddy, her tantrum could not be allowed to continue. 

With the research Theo had done on littles and age regression, he knew not to take comfort items away as a punishment he also knew that what she really needed was a spanking to correct her behavior, but since he wasn’t her Daddy, he didn’t feel comfortable crossing that boundary. The only other thing he could think to do was to put her in a time out. 

Theo quickly shrunk the furniture in Hermione’s flat with help from Harry and moved it to the kitchen before conjuring an adult sized play yard in a light pink with white frills around the edges. After putting a soft blanket into the play yard, he turned to Mia, kneeling down to be on her level. .

“Alright little one, time out time.” 

Mia shook her head, clutching Sir Sickle to her. Without another word, Theo gathered Mia in his arms and spoke gently against her ear before gently setting her down in the play yard. “I think fifteen minutes will be enough for you to learn that we don’t throw things or yell at our brothers. Bubby and I are going to have an adult discussion in the kitchen. Be a good girl.”

Her tears were finally slowing as she hugged her niffler to her chest and curled up with the blanket. 

As Harry and Theo walked into the kitchen, Harry had a smirk plastered on his face, knowing exactly how Theo felt about Hermione. He wasn’t sure exactly what was keeping Theo from voicing his feelings to the witch in question, but he hoped Theo would be able to confide in her soon. She clearly needed him as much as he needed her. 

Glancing at his watch so he would know when they needed to check on Mia, Theo leaned against the kitchen counter and began to recant the tale of what put Mia in such a moody state. Theo made it clear to Harry that Draco had sworn to him that he would not belittle Hermione or go to the press. Given his past, contentious history with the wizard, Harry was finding it difficult to trust Draco, no matter how much Theo vouched for him.

“I want to talk to him. I need to hear it from him that he won’t take advantage of her in any way, shape, or form.” Harry said firmly, “I can’t believe you were so careless to let him find out in the first place.”

Theo dropped into a nearby chair with a long exhale, his fingers sinking into the sandy brown locks. “I didn’t intend to, you know. He was supposed to wait five minutes before he came through the floo. But of course, he couldn’t bloody wait. I didn’t even have time to get Mia off the floor before the git was in her living room.”

Harry barked out a laugh. For a Slytherin, Theo had never been all that great at hiding his expressions. “You expected Draco Malfoy to wait? I know he is your best friend and all, but come on. You wanted wanted him to find out... I’m just trying to figure out why.”

Theo couldn’t come up with the words for how to tell Harry why exactly he’d ‘accidentally’ allowed Draco to find out Hermione’s secret in the few minutes they had left of Mia’s time out. He’d known his best friend was impatient. Known he would follow him through the floo rather than waiting and he had highly suspected that Hermione would be curled up in her pile of stuffies like she was the majority of the time he popped by her flat. 

“We don’t really have enough time for this conversation now, so how about we meet up tonight? Your place or mine, it doesn’t matter. I will make sure Draco is there as well so we can all have a chat.”

Harry agreed and wrote down his address on two pieces of paper, handing the small slips to Theo. “Burn these when you’re done, if you will. I’m still under the Fidelius.” 

Harry grabbed Mia’s cup before he turned back toward the living room, Theo signaling that it was time for the time out to be finished. 

The small brunette witch was sound asleep hugging the stuffed niffler to her chest with the blanket draped over her. As it was almost dinner time, knowing Hermione’s day had been stressful, Harry owl-ordered her favorite pasta dish for dinner from the Leaky Cauldron. 

He turned to see Theo leaning against the wall watching Mia sleep for a moment before transfiguring the conjured play yard into a plush bed as white and fluffy as a cloud. Before Theo left, he wrote a note to her letting Hermione know to enjoy her dinner, that he would see her tomorrow, and to be a good girl inscribed with his and Harry’s name at the bottom.

\-------------------------------------------------------

The new ancestral of the Notts that Theo had built after the war was known, as all others before it, simply as Nott Manor. He’d torn down the old one, rife with the lingering aura of dark magic thanks to his father’s obsession with the art. His new home was not quite as grand nor garish as the old, with only six bedroom suites instead of the previous twelve, but it didn’t need to be - it was only he and Draco who lived there. The outside was done in a late victorian style while the inside was very modern with a large, open kitchen he spent far too much time in trying out new recipes and perfecting the catalogue of ancient family recipes. It was his favorite room in the house.

Draco could consistently be found either in the media room or at the indoor pool. Theo suspected that there was a mermaid somewhere in his family lineage with how much time that man spent in the water. He seemed to spend more time in the water than out of it. 

Theodore found Draco in the aforementioned media room, sitting at his desk with his laptop open. The blond man didn’t flinch when Theo sauntered over and caught a glimpse of the screen - a google search on what it took to be a guide on how to become a Daddy to a Little. 

"Alright love," Theo slid his hand down Draco’s back, his fingers spreading wide between his shoulder blades as he bent down to press a soft kiss that promised more to come, “before you get too deep into that, Potter would like a word.”

Draco chuckled, closing the screen to his laptop with a single finger as he leaned back, his head resting against Theo’s chest. “You don’t say.”

A few moments and a floo trip later, slips of paper burned, the pair were standing in Harry’s study with tumblers of whiskey in their hands and a hard stare fixed upon them from the Chosen One. 

Theo’s gaze never wavered as he stared right back at Harry while Draco's eyes flitted back and forth between his lover and his schoolyard nemesis. 

Draco began to fidget uncomfortably in the tense silence until he blurted out "We want to be Hermione's daddies.” Draco tugged at his collar, “I've known for awhile because Theo told me after I talked to him about Lovegood. I managed to find her playroom in a drunken stupor one night and had a very long conversation with my father and godfather.” Draco took a drink, “And well, Luna is a little all of the time and we sort of thought we could get Hermione to come to the manor with us so we could all talk and-” Theo held up a hand, a soft smile ghosting over his lips, and Draco immediately ceased his rambling with a soft blush on his cheek and an apologetic glance towards the floor. 

"Luna? Luna Lovegood... is a little?” The look on Harry’s face shifted from confusion to clarity, “That actually makes a lot of sense… but you lost me at Snape and Lucius Malfoy." Harry looked to Theo for answers. 

"Actually Potter, it's not farfetched if you think about it. Luna was held prisoner in the manor for several months during our seventh year and Lucius essentially took charge of her care, though he had to be discreet about it. Hot food, warm blankets. Granted, he charmed them to disappear if anyone other than his family went into the dungeon. After the war, Luna seemed to have nowhere else to go and she showed up at the manor. Lucius took her in and she almost immediately went into little space and these days, she rarely comes out of it. They’re ridiculously in love.” Theo took a long pull from his tumbler as he looked to Draco to finish their tale. 

After a deep breath and another pull from the glass, Draco began, "My mother was a little, one sort of like Hermione, though she wasn’t in little space very often when I was around, as you can understand. She still had my father and my godfather, so they knew what to do when Luna showed up. My mother's portrait talks to me frequently about it. She is, and I quote, ‘so happy that my daddies found their own little moon beam.’” Draco downed the remainder of his whiskey, looking up to find green eyes trained on him. “I’ll thank you to keep what you just learned about my family to yourself, Potter… but that’s really it.”

Theo wrapped an arm around Draco’s waist, knowing it was difficult for him to speak about his late mother as Harry’s eyes watched the two of them, slowly sipping his own whiskey. 

“You’re together,” Harry motioned between the two of them with a wide smile, “But anyway, just don’t hurt her, yeah?” He waved a hand and the bottle of Ogden’s levitated from his desk to refill their tumblers. “Hermione has been through enough.” 

  
  
  


After Harry was satisfied that their intentions were honorable, the three men talked well into the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there it is everyone! Chapter three is already in the works and it will be up asap


	3. The Letter

Chapter 3

Friday June 9th 2000

  
  
  


Hermione woke to an owl lightly nipping at her fingers and cooing softly. After rubbing the sleep from her tired eyes, she untied the letter from the unusual owl with feathers that shone like silver in the bright morning sun. With another swipe of her hand over her eyes and a shake of her curls in a feeble attempt to clear her mind of the dream she’d been having, she realized the little thing was albino - a very rare breed, indeed.. Before opening the letter, Hermione reached into the drawer of her bedside table for a water bowl and a few owl treats. She filled the bowl with a wave of her wand, a lazy aguamenti and set both bowl and treats on the bed next to her for the little owl to take it’s fill. 

Her fingers traced across the medallion of silver wax imprinted with a crescent moon and two ornately curved letter “L’s” beneath before slipping her fingers between the paper and the wax, breaking the seal. 

  
  
  


_ Missy Granger,  _

_ I is writing this for Missy Luna. She wants to invite yous to Malfoy Manor. I knows bad things did happen here but Missy Luna says she misses her friend. Please come. Master said to write Saturday 10 June 11am. Please respond.  _

_ Missy Luna's personal elf,  _

_ Nippy _

_ P.S. Nippy is to tell you Master Lucius taught us to reads and writes.  _

  
  
  


A look of astonishment crossed her features, fingers drifting up to play against her lips as she pondered the curious message from the house elf. Luna lived at Malfoy Manor? Lucius Malfoy not only taught his house elves to read and write, but he let them write letters? 

After pinching herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, she told the owl she would reply by the end of the day and that if she wanted to, she could rest there for a while or go home. The owl hooted a soft reply then made her way to the top of Hermione's armoire, falling asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Hermione paced in her living room wondering what she was going to do. She wanted to see Luna but was uncertain as to whether or not she could face going to Malfoy Manor after what happened to her there during the war. Of course, Luna was held captive there for months on end. Hemione wondered if that made her a coward, being unable to face her fear of a place which could no longer do her harm. 

_ Of course that doesn’t make me a coward, Luna wasn’t tortured by a witch known for her insanity, was she? _

Hermione ceased her frantic movements and plopped down onto her bed to retrieve her phone from the bedside table. She tossed the device onto the bed and pulled her curls into a messy bun before slipping it into her palm and swiping her thumb across the screen. She drew her legs close to her, crossing them so her ankles were tucked beneath her thighs and scrolled through her contacts. Finding the entry she was looking for, she pressed the button to send the call through. 

As it rang, she inhaled and exhaled slowly in a pitiful attempt to calm her racing mind before Theo’s baritone could be heard on the line. “Hermione, is everything alright?” 

She didn’t want to admit that something was actually wrong, but she was unnerved by the letter. “Theo, can you come over? I need to talk to somebody and I didn’t really know who to call.” Her teeth trapped her lower lip between them as she anxiously twisted a curl around her finger. 

Hermione heard the rustle of clothing and blankets through the receiver, inwardly cursing herself for calling so early, suspecting he’d still been in bed. Theo, on the other hand, seemed completely unperturbed by her request or the early hour. “I can be there in about an hour, just let me shower and get dressed. I’ll come through your floo.” 

“I’ll see you.” Hermione drew her knees to her chest, her eyes darting between the curious owl and the window she’d flown in through, as her thumb tapped the red circle, ending their call. 

  
  


It felt like her stomach was twisted in knots as the unsettled feeling took hold of her, a sudden fear creeping into her consciousness that Luna might still be held against her will and the house elf’s note was merely to set a nefarious plan laid out by Lucius Malfoy. 

She glanced at the clock. An hour. She could wait. She had no other choice.

* * *

Theo had been up and ready for his day for a few hours before Hermione’s phone call came through, but had nestled himself amidst a mountain of pillows and blankets in the bed he shared with Draco to lose himself in a book for a while. As soon as he heard the unsure tone in Hermione’s voice, he was out of bed and looking for Draco. It look him very little time to find the blond man floating on his back in their expansive black tiled pool after his call with Hermione ended. Theo dipped the tip of his wand into the water, knowing the man would be oblivious to any other attention-grabbing attempts he made, letting the whisper of a cooling charm flowing over his tongue. As the water became too cold for him to bear, Draco jolted from his thoughts and frantically swam to the edge, ice crystals beginning to form along the curve of his brow as he hoisted himself out of the icy waters.

“What the actual fuck, Theodore?” Draco sputtered as he furiously grabbed a towel and his own wand to cast a warming charm . “You couldn’t just… you know, say something?”

Theo waved him off, "Did you happen to say something to your father about inviting Hermione to the Manor?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably under Theo's scrutiny, taking the opportunity to hide his face in a towel while making a show of drying his hair. "I may have sent him an owl when we got back home last night."

Running a hand through his disheveled hair, Theo sighed heavily. He’d been friends with Draco for longer than he had coherent memories, though lovers for quite a bit less, and he still managed to marvel at the man’s impulsiveness. "He had Nippy send her a letter this morning. I'm only going to guess it's about going to the Manor."

Draco gracefully deposited the towel in one of the many lounge chairs surrounding to the pool, "I don't see the problem here."

Theo glared at the blonde, arms crossing over his chest as he narrowed his eyes, "I swore to her that you wouldn't tell anyone! Damnit, Draco, we needed to handle this carefully. Now she won't trust you."

Fingers carded through damp hair, smoothing it into place as he wrapped the towel around his waist with a frustrated grunt,"Just talk her into going. After she sees Luna she’ll understand,” he shrugged his shoulders, bare feet padding towards the door,“I bet she will even be excited, having another little to play with and such."

Theo quickly moved to block Draco’s path, angling himself inside the doorframe, his forearms pressed against the wood. "That's not how this should work. We can't just force her into things for Merlin's sake." His voice grew quieter, uncertainty creeping in over the fact that his carefully laid plans may have been ruined, “She’s not ours…”

Holding his towel in place with one hand, Draco grasped Theo’s forearm with the other, drawing the man’s hand off of the wood and over his shoulder. His fingers slipped along the curve of Theo’s waist as he pulled him closer, "If we don't force our hand a bit, Theo we won't ever get where we want to be." Draco’s hand splayed out over Theo’s back as he pressed his chest against his lover’s and dipped his head so his lips rested at the curve of Theo’s neck."Trust me, love. This was the right move. Granger is not as fragile as you think."

Theo leaned his head against Draco’s, wrapping his other arm around the man before pressing a kiss against his still cool lips. "I'm glad you feel that way, because she’s asked me to come over... and you’re coming with me."

* * *

Hermione hadn’t remained on her bed for long. She paced along the living room, through the short hallway and back to her bedroom countless times as she waited. Since the end of the war, her anxiety manifested in different ways. There were times when she needed to descend in little space and others where she simply couldn’t stop moving. So, she paced. She dusted the bookshelves, even though no dust was visible. She fluffed the pillows on the sofa and finally set about making a pot of tea. 

. While she set the water to boil on the stove, Hermione prepped her favorite porcelain teapot, one her grandmother had left to her when she passed, along with a hand made tea cozy that still fit snugly around it. As Hermione measured out her favorite coconut almond tea leaves, the floo flared to life and with it, her sandy-haired savior made his appearance.

“Making tea, just a moment!” she called out, her back to the floo, as she continued with her task.” 

Theo siphoned the soot from his clothing with a wave of his wand and made his way towards the small kitchen with careful, measured steps. His eyes fell upon the witch and he couldn’t help the feelings that bubbled up into his chest. He wanted this witch, needed her, even - and wanted her to need him right back. “Draco will be coming through the floo in a moment.”

Hermione ceased all movements, slowly turning her head to glance at the man over her shoulder who was holding up his hands in surrender. “Don’t give me that look, pet. I made him come, so I’m begging you to at least be cordial to him.” 

She pressed her hands into the edge of the countertops, the sharp line where vertical meets the horizontal digging into her palms before turning her head away from the man behind her. “If he so much as implies anything untoward, I’ll hex him into the next millennium.” .”

Theo took a tentative step forward, his large hands curving around the small waist of the woman before him. He pulled her back into his arms, chin resting next to the messy bun atop her head while his fingertips stroked across soft skin. “He knows what’s expected of him and will be on his best behavior.” 

Hermione sunk back into Theo’s embrace, finally feeling like she could catch her breath, her hands continuing to fix her tea with practiced movements as her mind focused on the thud of his heart against her back. 

The brief moment of intimacy was short lived after the floo, once again, flared to life and Draco emerged from a haze of green fire. Bodies tensed as Theo pulled away, neither ready to give up their stolen moment as Theo went to greet Draco in the living room and to remind him, once again, to behave. After a whispered conversation, Draco sunk into the plush chair next to the pile of stuffies while Theo took a seat on the sofa waiting for the witch to emerge with the tea she had selected. Theo adored Hermione’s preference for strange, muggle teas, especially the black tea that tasted of vanilla biscuits with hints of cinnamon. 

A box of biscuits, cream, sugar, three mugs, and her prized porcelain teapot in it’s faded orange cozy sat atop a levitated tea tray. Hermione floated the tray to the coffee table and poured tea for each of them, steam rising from the mugs as each person mixed in cream and sugar to his or her liking. When that was finished and pleasantries exchanged, Hermione summoned the letter she had received that morning with a wave of her hand. 

The parchment flew into her hand and she immediately passed it to Theo who scanned it with concerned eyes before handing it to Draco. He braced himself for the conversation they needed to have. Letting Hermione know that Draco broke her trust, even if it was for a good reason, was not going to be an easy feat.

Theo turned his attention to the witch at his side. Her hair was a mess and she was still dressed in a set of matched pajamas with her feet tucked beneath her and a mug clutched between her fingers. She was beautiful this way, more so than she was when she was dressed for court in her demure dresses and heels. 

“I need you to listen without interrupting. Can you do that, little one?” 

Even though Theo didn’t feel comfortable using it since she was not tied to him in any official capacity, the use of her title was said intentionally. If she couldn’t hold her tongue and hear them out, this would be over before it ever had a chance to begin. 

She curled herself into a smaller ball, if that were possible, the rim of the mug resting just below her lips as she nodded, her cheeks colored with a pretty shade of pink. 

“Draco told his father that you are a little.” Hermione’s eyes widened and her bottom lip caught between her teeth, but she held her tongue, gaze darting back and forth between Draco and Theo. “He did this because Lucius and Severus are caregivers to a little - Luna. Her reasons are her own, but she’s been with them since the end of the war. I believe that this letter is their way of inviting you over for a playdate with her.” 

“It’s usually Miss, Mistress, Lady, or Ma’am,” Draco interjected, “Nippy has only ever referred to Luna as ‘Missy’ because she is a little.”

The silence was palpable, hanging thickly between them as Hermione took a sip of her tea, the warm liquid washing over her tongue and down her throat to mingle with the knot still present in her stomach. Her hands were shaking as she abandoned the cup to a nearby table and reflexively, curled into Theo, seeking comfort.

Someone to play with. The thought in and of itself was something she’d really never dreamed possible. While Harry had adopted the role of her brother, he didn’t always seem to understand completely, though she knew with absolute certainty that he would never judge her or find her wanting. Unfortunately, the potential playmate came at the risk of setting foot back into the one place she swore to herself she would never return. 

The place where Draco had watched as she’d been tortured by his aunt and had done nothing to stop it - not that he’d had a choice in the matter. She looked into the stormy gray eyes from across the room. Being safely nestled under the safety of Theos’ arm, she could study the man without fear of reproach. He looked concerned and there was a look of desperation in his eyes which she couldn’t quite place. 

Moments later, she finally spoke, “W-will you go with me?”

Theo’s arm tightened around her, drawing her closer, “Both of us will be going with you. Nothing bad will happen to you, that I swear.”

Hermione nodded, a small, unsure, “Okay” leaving her lips before their conversation shifted to more mundane topics. 

* * *

Morning passed more quickly than Hermione could have imagined and after finally changing out of her pajamas and into a simple sundress, the three of them went to lunch. They parted ways after indulging in mountains of noodles and rice from the Chinese restaurant down the street. Hermione did her best not to stress about the trip to Malfoy Manor in the morning. 

She went to bed that evening feeling quite a bit more comfortable with Draco’s company. He and Theo had a distinct ease about them, they orbited each other with seamless banter and quiet affection, though she was unable to tell if it was the affection shared merely between friends or that which occurred between lovers. 

As she slipped into unconsciousness beneath pink sheets and a pristine white comforter in the early hours of the morning, her dreams were filled with scenes of herself and Luna Lovegood, coloring and playing with dolls.


	4. Play-date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize profusely for the long wait on this chapter. It gave me more than a few problems and didn't want to come out of my head.

Chapter Four

Saturday June 10th 2000

Theo, and Draco flooed into Hermione's flat at seven in the morning so they could make her breakfast and wake her up. It was important that they help her transition into little space to minimize any residual fear or other negative reactions from going to Malfoy Manor for the first time since the war. They wanted this to be a positive experience for her: one, so she could hopefully begin to trust Draco, two, because they desperately needed advice and Lucius and Severus were the only couple they knew with another little, and three, because even though she wasn’t theirs quite yet, they wanted to give her the world. 

After Theo made chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage in the kitchen at Hermione’s flat, the two made their way to her bedroom, a stasis charm keeping their witch’s favorite breakfast piping hot. 

Hermione was curled into a ball, the size of the bed only serving to highlight how truly tiny she was, and her thin arms were wrapped around the stuffed snake Theo had given her when he found out she was a little. It wasn’t quite as loved as her niffler, but each stuffy had their respective spaces. The niffler ruled the pile of stuffies with an iron fist while the snake kept her company in bed. It brought a smile to his face every time he saw her holding it. 

"I'll wake her up, Draco. You pick her out something to wear." Theo said, pointing to the large armoire against the far wall. With quiet steps, he crossed the room, admiring the way her curls fanned out across the pillow. He hated to muss up the masterpiece of her curls, but his fingers ached slip through through them and as he sat on the side of the bed, he did just that. Long fingers combed through her thick, brown ringlets and he bent at the waist to press a kiss to her cheek. 

Theo’s lips brushed against her skin as he whispered, "Time to get up sleepy girl, we have a playdate after breakfast." 

A sharp noise originating in her chest escaped through her parted lips as Hermione burrowed deeper into her blankets. She shook her head and pulled the little snake closer, yawning, "Don’ wanna, sleepin’."

"I know you're sleeping little one, that's why I'm waking you up." After pulling back the blankets, Theo tickled her side lightly, blue eyes roaming over her pajama-clad form, periwinkle and pomegranate coloured hearts dotting the soft, cream coloured flannel. 

"I made pancakes,” he said, the sing-song voice bringing a smile to her face as his fingertips brushed over her ribs once more.

She pushed his hand away and started to comment on the idea of breakfast when a flash of movement caught her eye. Draco was thumbing through her dresses… and not just any dresses like those found within her closet, but her special dresses in pastel hues with ruffles, bows, and flounces. 

A bright blush broke over her cheeks as she hurriedly buried herself back in her covers, her eyes barely peeking out over the blanket. "Why is he in my room?"

Pulling a frock from the closet, Draco walked over to her bed, carefully balancing the hanger holding a frilly mint-green and white dress on the pad of his thumb while his other hand held a pair of snow-white tights and a set of mary janes in a matching color with white bows on the toes. "Because I'm picking out your clothes for your play date today.” 

The smile he gave her was altogether too dazzling and mischievous, white teeth fully on display and a twinkle in his silver eyes. It made her stomach do funny things and she couldn’t tell if they were good or not.

“Up you get, it's time for breakfast."

Hermione pouted, though only her narrowed eyes were visible to the blond. “Go away.” 

Theo held his breath. She was already halfway there; halfway to slipping into the exact space they needed her in. If Draco said or did the wrong thing, it would push her into the completely wrong headspace and then they’d never get her to the manor. He needed Hermione to meet others like her and he and Draco needed to desperately talk to Lucius and Severus. They were flying blind here. 

Draco seemed unfazed by her command as he carefully laid the frock, tights, and shoes at the edge of her bed. “Now, now, Princess, there is breakfast waiting and good girls can’t have pancakes if they don’t get dressed for the day.” 

Oh, thank the stars and all of the cosmos; Draco wasn’t a complete idiot. 

A glimmer of something sparked in Hermione’s eye as she looked to Theo for reassurance. A small smile spread across his lips as he slowly inclined his head in a nod, lowering himself slowly to sit at the edge of her bed, once more. 

“Pancakes?” she asked, the head of her little green snake coming to peek up over the covers as she clutched it to her chest. 

Theo reached toward Hermione and took one of her curls between his thumb and forefinger, gently pulling it taut and watching it spring back before his knuckles stroked along the curve of her cheek. “Yes, baby girl, with all of your favorites.” 

“Can Salazar have some too?” 

“Of course he can,” Theo assured her, reaching out to tickle the little stuffed snake, eliciting a giggle from the girl. 

Gods, how he needed her to be theirs. He could take care of her on his own but having Draco there to support and cherish her would only serve to make it better. 

All it took was a silent moment shared between Draco and himself for the realization to punch him square in the gut, as hard as any bludger. This is what it could be like. They could have this every day. 

They could have this beautiful, formidable, wonderful little witch to themselves if she’d only say ‘yes’. 

But she was still too apprehensive, too fragile and everything they wanted could shatter in an instant. They didn’t know how to bring it up, how to let Hermione know that they had her best interests at heart and she would never have to want for anything when in their presence. 

With a nod, Draco slowly backed away from Hermione’s bed and leaned against the door frame. “I’ll see you in a bit, princess. Be good.” 

A warmth filled her belly and a blush covered her cheeks as Theo caught the blond wizard by the hand and kissed his cheek before he left, whispering something in his ear. 

They were beautiful together and Hermione couldn’t tear her eyes away. Draco was always so immaculately put together and even when he wore a simple oxford and dark wash jeans, his platinum hair was artfully styled in a low pompadour with the hair at sides cropped close. Theo, on the other hand, was broader and filled out the soft, cotton t-shirts he preferred tucked into khakis with a dark belt circling his hips, his sandy-brown hair brushing his forehead in gentle waves. 

Mia needed them. Hermione wanted them. 

That thought drew her up short. Just yesterday she’d been at odds with Draco and yet here she was ogling him through the eyes of Mia and finding him beautiful and protective. She wanted him to hold her the way he drew Theo against him and comfort her when she cried and kiss her boo-boos when she skinned her knees. She wanted that protection and love from a man she never thought possible and it terrified her. 

What if he hadn’t changed? What if he was still the same, mean bully from her youth lurking in a pretty, grown man body? She felt herself sink further as fear and doubt clouded her mind, clutching her snake to her chest and suddenly grateful to see him leave the room when moments before she wanted him to pick her up, spin her around, and envelop her in his arms. 

She needed Harry. 

Or Theo. 

Theo was still there, smiling at her like she was the star around which he revolved, and she knew he would take care of her. Theo had never judged her. Theo had never told her anything was wrong with her. Theo cared for her as if she was his already. 

His…

Theirs…

She shook her head, bidding the confusion to leave her. She wasn’t the one who needed to make big decisions. Big decisions were for big people and she was too little. Hermione glanced up at Theo and smiled a little, “I’d like breakfast, please,” she said, using her best manners. 

Theo helped her out of bed and they ate their breakfast in companionable silence, plates piled high with all of Mia’s favorites. After wiping her face clean of chocolate and powdered sugar Theo led Mia to her room to get dressed in the clothing Draco had chosen from her wardrobe.

"Would you like some help Mia?" Theo questioned the brunette as she was chewing on her thumbnail. She was standing beside her bed looking down at the outfit Draco had picked out for her, a small smile curling the corners of her mouth. 

"Yes please!" Hermione held her arms up above her head and twirled in a little circle.

Grasping the bottom of her night shirt, Theo’s hands skimmed her waist as he lifted it up and over her head before slipping his fingers beneath the waistband of the matching sleep pants and pushing them down towards the floor. The little witch was clad in nothing more than a pair of sunshine yellow knickers with tiny flowers dotting the surface in all of the colours of the rainbow and Theo had to remind himself that he was here to help her, not to stare at her sun kissed skin as she stepped out of the sleep trousers now laying on the floor.

She didn’t even try to cover herself as Theo deftly opened the buttons at the back of the mint-green frock before gathering the skirts and slipping it over Hermione’s head, easing her arms into the puffy sleeves. He refastened the buttons and tied the ribbon in the back in a large bow. 

“Sit down, little one,” he coaxed gently and Hermione complied. When Theo tickled her foot after sliding the smooth, white fabric of the tights over her ankle and up her leg, a girlish giggle bubbled up from her throat, carefree and happy, as she kicked her foot a little in a bid to get him to stop. With a mischievous smile, Theo helped her place her other leg into the closed foot and as soon as the fabric was stretched, tickled her again. 

“Stop it, Da-” the word died on her tongue and she diverted, cheeks pinking, “No tickles.” 

Theo’s heart leapt at her almost slip, but he didn’t let on as he pulled the waistband of the tights over her hips and helped her to adjust the tight fabric over her legs. Bending at the knee, he slipped the little green flats on her feet and smiled up at her. 

“All done,” he cooed. 

“Thank you,” she said as he settled next to her on the bed. His hands began to finger-comb through her unruly curls and soon he had her hair divided into two sections and he was french braiding her hair into two braids and tieing matching ribbons to the end. 

“Ready to go?” Theo asked as he cupped her cheek in his hand and pulled her lower lip free from where it had been trapped between her teeth. 

“I’m scared,” Hermione said, and as she leaned towards him, Theo threaded an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, her head resting in the dip of his shoulder. 

“Draco and I will be right there, love,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “We will keep you safe.” 

Hermione nodded, reluctant to leave Theo’s protective embrace, but felt intensely curious and excited for a playdate with a friend. 

“I’m ready.” 

\------------------------------------------------------

Theo and Hermione stepped out of the hearth into the receiving room at Malfoy Manor. Hermione looked around the large cream colored room finding it inviting. Above the fireplace was a captivating painting of an ocean scene with a large three-masted frigate while floor to ceiling windows overlooking a beautiful garden sat opposite the fireplace. There were doors on either side of the room, presumably leading to different wings of the Manor.

Hearing voices coming from beyond the door to their left, Hermione froze and as it opened, she hid behind Theo emitting a tiny squeak.

Hermione peeked out from behind Theo to see Luna standing in the doorway, two looming, shadowy figures at her back. The blonde’s face was as whimsical and dreamy as ever and Hermione took comfort in the familiarity of seeing her friend. She was wearing a simple, baby pink dress and her long blonde hair hung down her back, though it was swept away from her face in a matching pink bow. 

Luna’s face lit up when she saw Hermione and she darted forward on bare feet and ran around Theo’s side to pull Hermione into an excited hug. 

Theo exchanged glances with the imposing forms of Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape as they entered the room, Draco trailing behind them. It wasn’t lost on Theo that Draco remained on their side of the room, though the expression on his face was encouraging. He wanted to keep Hermione from the edge of panic as much as Theo did and from the squeals echoing behind him, Luna was the best distraction possible. 

Lucius stepped forward, a hand held out which Theo grasped firmly in his own. “A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Nott.” 

“Likewise, Mr. Malfoy,” Theo replied politely. 

“Why don’t we adjourn to the library while the girls play?” he asked, his eyes focused on the two littles behind Theo who were twirling in a circle, their arms wrapped around one another. “I understand from my son we have a few things to discuss.”

Theo chanced a glance at Draco, who nodded, and gave his own curt nod in response, “Of course. Shall we escort them to the playroom or will they be expected to find their way alone?” He felt reluctant to leave Hermione alone in the manor by herself, even with Luna as a companion and would feel much better if the two were escorted, but this wasn’t his house and his own rules weren’t in place. 

As if sensing his hesitation, Lucius summoned a house elf, likely the same one who wrote Luna’s letter to Hermione and bid the little creature to escort the girls as far as the stairs, knowing Luna would find her way from there. 

Luna grasped Hermione’s arm and pulled her through the manor, up the stairs, and around corners until the girl stopped at a large wooden door, her baby pink dress swishing around her thighs. The little house elf panted behind them, not even bothering to chide them for their rapid pace, and as soon as the girls stopped at the door to the playroom, it disapparated. 

"This is it, Mia! My playroom!" Luna giggled sweetly as she threw the double doors open, her arms spread wide. "Ta-Da!"

The white room was filled with stuffed animals of every shape and size along with a tea table in the middle. A long rack of dresses covered an entire wall with what appeared to be matching shoes under each one while a dresser stood nearby, presumably holding bows, tights, underthings, and other articles of clothing. Tacked to the the opposite wall with sticking charms were pictures drawn and colored by Luna, though some particular favorites had been framed with care. A plethora of blocks and other toys lay scattered about the floor but what caught Hermione’s eye was the ornate rocking horse sitting in a far corner, a stuffed teddy bear sitting astride the white steed.

"Lulu it's wonderful!" Hermione did a twirl while walking into the room before turning to the other little girl. "It's your room... what do you wanna do?" Hermione said, firmly remembering the lessons her mother instilled in her as a girl.

Luna grabbed Hermione's hand with a mischievous smile playing on her lips while her eyes danced with mirth. "I wanna spy on daddy and papa. Mia, come with me, please?"

Hermione paused for a moment before responding, chewing on her lower lip and wringing her hands, nervously. "B-but we'll get in trouble..."

Luna shook her head, her pale blonde hair swishing along her back, a lock coming loose from the bow to frame her face. "Nuh uh! Cause we won't get caught. Daddy and Papa never notice when I sneak because the wrackspurts keep their brains fuzzy." 

With a giggle, Luna began to pull Hermione through the house once more, the older witch glancing longingly once more at the playspace before it disappeared from sight. 

\-----------------------------------

“It’s complicated,” Theo began, holding a crystal tumbler between his fingertips as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. 

“I assure you, Theodore, it’s less complicated than you think,” Lucius assured him. Drinks had been poured for all those gathered in the small room off of the main library and each wizard was lounging as he pleased, except for Severus who was almost never seen in a state of repose. 

Severus stood stalwart behind the chair Lucius was sitting in, one long-fingered hand curving over the top of the wingback. “My godson told us part of the story, but I fear we may need to hear the rest. It is difficult to be of service when one does not know the facts.”

“Right,” Theo nodded. He grasped Draco’s hand and started at the beginning, the day he’d first discovered Hermione’s secret. They discussed how Harry called him more than once to help when she was in the middle of a snit and how well they got on when they had lunch as colleagues. He continued to tell them how he’d confided in Draco and together they’d researched exactly how to care for her which ultimately led to the orchestration of Draco “finding out” her secret. 

“Uncle, Father,” Draco said, nodding at each man in turn, “You know I’ve fancied her for some time and I saw how you both were with mother growing up, though I know all efforts were made to keep that hidden from me, and I’ve come to realize that this is something I want, maybe even need… and I want it with her.” 

“And it extends further than just wanting to care for her, and to be honest, she deserves much more than that. It doesn’t matter if she’s coloring a picture or cross-examining a witness on the courtroom floor, we want her regardless of which facet of her is currently on display,” Theo added, his knuckles turning white as he held Draco’s hand tightly. 

He desperately wanted answers and he knew it wouldn’t be easy, no relationship ever was, but he had no idea of where to start and that’s why they had approached Severus and Lucius. The two men were seasoned at caring for witches - those in little space and those who were not, and to put it simply, he and Draco were desperate to make this work. Theo had gotten a taste of what it could be like this morning and coupled with her little slip, it only served to make him more determined to be the man she needed him to be.

Lucius looked to his son, then in turn looked to Theo before rising with a sigh. He poured a second brandy for himself from the decanter on the side table and returned to his chair, sinking down with an unmatched grace. 

“In all honesty, I’m not certain Severus nor I will be of any use.” He held his hand up to stay his son from speaking, silver meeting silver in an unspoken battle. “The decision lies with the witch. Above all, you require her consent to place her trust and care into your hands, little or no.” 

“Might I suggest the two of you take her to lunch and make your intentions known? You’ve not done that, have you?” Severus asked, his dark eyes flicking quickly between the two younger men with a raised brow and Theo suspected he was silently berating them in his mind. 

Draco shook his head, “We had lunch to discuss a legal matter, but the three of us haven’t sat down and spoken about moving forward with any sort of relationship. We’re not even certain she wants that from us.”

“She’ll need time to decide,” Lucius said, taking a sip from his tumbler, “And as I said before, you must obtain her consent and not push her into anything she might be averse to. If she chooses to consent, Severus and I will have other things we will need to discuss with you to ensure her safety and care.”

“I understand, Father” Draco glanced at Theo and back to Lucius and Severus, “The sun sort of rises and sets with her, in our eyes. The last thing we want to do is harm her.”

A soft, femine gasp could be heard the moment Draco finished speaking and Severus turned from his place behind Lucius with a simmering anger in his long stride. When he pulled the cracked door to the small room off of the library open, the two witches tumbled in and lay tangled on the floor looking altogether like a bowl of rainbow sherbet in their pastel dresses. 

Peering up at the imposing former professor, Luna’s blue eyes appeared no different than they were moments before, her expression placid and unnerved while Hermione’s were wide, the pretty brown sparkling with the kind of terrified guilt that only comes about when one has been caught doing something one was most certainly not supposed to be doing. 

Severus peered down at the two witches between thick lashes and narrowed eyes, his deep baritone rumbling in his chest as he spoke in a measured, stern tone, "And just what exactly do you young ladies think you are doing?"


	5. Negotiations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alpha love to ThorneAndRose! 
> 
> This story is expected to be around 12 chapters based on what we've planned out. For those that have asked, we are planning a short multi-chapter fic centered around the Luna/Severus/Lucius dynamic after Their Little is finished.

The tumble of girls on the floor hurriedly untangled their bodies from one another and Luna stood first, offering Hermione a hand that she didn’t let go of once they were both upright. Their matching gazes stayed locked on the floor, cheeks pink with embarrassment. 

Severus Snape stood before them, arms crossed and a stern expression maring his features. "I asked a question and I expect an answer." He uncurled one arm from the other and placed a finger under each girl’s chin to lift their faces so their eyes could be seen, although Hermione’s eyes remained downcast while Luna peered with wide blue eyes straight into the inky blackness belonging to Severus. 

"W-we were spying" Hermione stammered, her teeth sinking into her lower lip.

Severus’ expression softened slightly and while Luna likely picked up on it - that witch didn’t miss a thing, Hermione was oblivious. Her entire posture was tight, despite Luna’s hand grasping hers, and the tears rimming her eyes were threatening to fall. 

"And why were you two spying on an adult conversation?" Severus coaxed, his tone more gentle than before.

A tumble of sound fell from Luna’s lips, soft and laced with regret. "It was my idea Sir, I'm sorry,” she said, her gaze held firm on Severus. “I thought it would be fun." 

Brilliant blue eyes flickered to her left and back to Severus. "Please don't punish Mia, she didn't want to." Luna sniffled softly. “It’s my fault, Sir.” 

Lucius rose, his grey eyes trained on the two girls, one clearly more distraught than the other at being caught in their little game of spying. His Luna seemed to have no qualms against spying, only that Hermione also seemed to be in trouble for it, and that would not do. “Luna, my moonbeam, we’ve discussed that spying will not be tolerated in this house more than once in the past several weeks.”

Luna’s chin dropped to her chest in a defeated nod. 

“Little girls who do not do as they are told are punished,” Lucius reminded her, simply. 

Silent tears began to drop down Hermione’s cheeks as Luna tightly gripped her hand. She’d thrown tantrums over silly things like broken crayons and dresses to wear, but this seemed too real and too big and all she wanted to do was curl in on herself and cry because she was in  _ trouble _ . 

“Miss Mia,” Lucius said firmly, “you’ll turn around and walk straight to the corner and think about what you’ve done until an adult removes you from it. Do you understand?”

Theo and Draco watched as Hermione gave the smallest nod and turned, releasing Luna’s hand to do exactly as she was told. Her hands were balled into tight fists at her side as she stood with her nose facing the adjoining walls, soft sobs wracking her body. 

Draco wanted nothing more than to go scoop her up and tell her everything would be alright but the feel of Theo’s hand resting on his forearm stayed his movements. 

Exchanging a glance, Severus lowered himself in the chair Lucius had vacated. Lucius wrapped his arm around Luna’s shoulders, guiding the girl with slow steps towards the chair with measured steps. “Twenty five, this time, Luna.”

Luna’s eyes brightened but they quickly dimmed when Lucius added, “And you can rest assured that Severus will not go easy on you, moonbeam.” 

The little in the simple pink frock looked between the two men and nodded her head resolutely, “Y-yes Daddy. You and Sir know best…” her voice trailed off as she folded herself across Severus’ lap. Lucius’ fingers trailed over her thighs as he flipped her skirt up and pulled her knickers down to rest just where her bum met her legs. 

Theo watched the scene unfold as Luna received her spanking, soaking in each tiny detail and filing it away for use at a later date. Draco, however, only had eyes for Hermione. His attention focused completely on the witch standing in the corner. She flinched each time the crack of a hand hitting flesh rang throughout the room and seemed barely aware when Luna’s yelps and whimpers turned to soft, kittenish moans. Over time, Hermione’s hands had traveled from her sides to press tightly against her ears. Her head shook with each impact.

When it was over and Severus began rubbing gentle circles over Luna’s reddened bum while Lucius brushed sweat soaked hair from her face, Draco alighted from the sofa and crushed Hermione against his chest. It didn’t matter that the snot running down her face got on his shirt when her thin arms wrapped around his larger frame and she sobbed into his chest, a recurrent murmur of “I’m sorry, I won't do it again” falling from her lips. 

“Shh, princess, I’ve got you,” he whispered against her temple as his lips found the edge of her hairline, pressing soft, sweet kisses as she calmed. 

From across the room, Theo smiled. He slowly rose from the sofa and made his way towards them. One of his hands settled on Hermione’s back while the other curved over Draco’s shoulder and it was as if something clicked into place. A shift in the universe causing an irrefutable sense of calm to wash over him and a feeling of rightness to form deep within his chest. 

“I think you’ve had enough excitement for today, baby girl. Let’s get you home,” Theo said calmly, glancing over his shoulder and exchanging a nod with Lucius. 

\--------------------------

With the little witch still gathered in his arms, Draco carefully made his way from the hearth to the sofa in Hermione’s small flat. She was still quiet and looked somewhat shaken as she clung to him, face pressed against his shoulder and her arms entwined around his neck. Sinking into the plush, well-worn cushions, Draco drew long strokes along her back with his fingertips for a moment before looking to Theo for guidance. 

Theo smiled at the pair before clearing his throat. Hermione shyly bared her face from where it had been hidden and looked up at Theo. He bent at the waist to be more on her level and pushed a few stray curls that had come loose from one of her braids behind her ear. “Cuddle close until you feel better but when you do, Mia, I’d like you to go change so we may go out for a late lunch.” 

Hermione nodded and turned her face back to press against the side of Draco’s neck. Theo busied himself in the kitchen, giving the others a bit of privacy. He felt immensely proud of how Hermione was placing her trust in Draco and was allowing him to hold her in exactly the way Theo knew she needed. He prepared himself a glass of water and took a drink, trying to think of somewhere they could go for lunch that would afford them some measure of privacy. 

Draco made no move to speak. He simply held the witch in his arms, stroking her back with a long fingered hand over the mint-green fabric of her dress. After a few moments, she pulled away and he instantly missed the feel of her arms around him. His hands ghosted across her waist as he removed them from her back and he offered her a hand to help stand. Her eyes stayed trained on her shoes, but she muttered a soft “thank you” and made her way across the small apartment to her bedroom. 

Draco stretched his arms, the muscles pulling taut and relaxing as he brought them over his head and back down to clasp his hands behind his head. When Theo walked back into the living room, Draco was grinning like the cat who got the cream. “She let me hold her.” 

“I saw,” Theo said, leaning down to press a kiss against Draco’s lips. “She’s quite lovely, isn’t she?” 

“We can’t fuck this up.” 

Theo barked a laugh, glancing down at his partner as he crossed his arms, his eyes flicking back to where Hermione’s bedroom was. “It’s going to be a long conversation.”

Draco’s head inclined in a solemn nod, “Do you think she -”

“I hope so. Where should we take her for lunch?” 

“We still have a room on reserve at La Magie, La Vérité. Father shouldn’t be using it today,” Draco said, rising from the sofa as the door to Hermione’s room opened. 

Her curls were no longer plaited into two braids but hung loose around her shoulders. Gone was the mint green frock with the matching shoes and in its place was a simple pair of black slacks, a dark blue button-up blouse with subtle floral embroidery in threads of the same color, and a pair of low heels in black leather. 

“Isn’t that the place in Diagon Alley that takes six months to get a reservation?” Hermione asked as she crossed the small space to retrieve a burnished gold clutch from her desk.

With a soft smile, Draco nodded. “My family has a standing reservation there and a private room.”

She rolled her eyes, curls bouncing around her shoulders as she shook her head. “Of course you do. Merlin forbid, you have to make normal reservations and wait like the rest of us.” 

“I have little patience,” Draco teased, drawing his eyes over her. “You look lovely.” 

Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink. “Thank you,” she said, gesturing to herself with a wave of her hand, “Am I dressed okay?” 

“Perfectly,” Theo said, unconcerned with his own casual attire. 

“There’s a floo in the private room,” Draco shrugged, “You could go in there completely starkers and they wouldn’t bat an eyelash.” 

Hermione’s eyes widened before she laughed, “Not happening and noted.” 

Theo took Hermione’s hand, slotting the small witch’s hand in his palm and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Hungry?” 

“Starved, actually,” she replied with a shy smile. 

As they stepped into the small hearth, Hermione pressed between Draco and Theo, one of her hands in each of theirs and the swirl of floo powder, soot, and their scents surrounding her, the overwhelming feeling of doubt began to creep into her mind and made her stomach clench. 

She already wanted to race back to her room and throw on a simple, white nightdress with eyelet lace and curl up with her stuffies again and just ignore the fact that adult conversations were necessary. She was treading in unknown waters and while the morning had been lovely up until the bit where she and Luna found themselves in trouble, and then again after in Draco’s arms on the sofa, she was in unfamiliar territory. She knew what she wanted, or so she thought, but the apprehension was creeping in and she felt out of control. 

As if sensing the shift in her mood, Theo pressed himself against her side and squeezed her hand while Draco dropped the floo powder at their feet and called out their destination - loud, clear, and in perfectly accented French. 

\---------------------

The private room they stepped into was nothing short of elegant. It was a well-lit space with magical and muggle impressionist paintings lining the walls. White linens were draped over the table topped with silver cutlery clearly meant for more than one or two courses while long stemmed wine glasses rested nearby. A low, square vase of wildflowers in the center of the table was flanked on either side by glass pillars filled with magical light.

Leading her to the table, Theo pulled out the hand carved wooden chair for Hermione to sit. Only when she had lowered herself into the chair did he release her hand and sit next to her while Draco conversed with a server on the other side of the small room in quiet French. 

“His family has vineyards in the Loire Valley,” Theo said, noting how Hermione was watching how Draco interacted with the server. Her brown eyes were slightly glazed and her lips had taken on a bit of a dreamy smile. “He goes back at least a few times a year. They have a lovely cottage next to the big house that we stay at periodically.” 

“Is he fluent?” she asked, the sound of thick vowels and soft consonants filling her ears and making her stomach bubble with something that was definitely not the apprehension she was feeling just a moment ago. 

“He lapses into it sometimes when he gets angry,” Theo grinned, “It’s absolutely absurd to hear him yelling at you when about the only word you understand is ‘arsehole.’

“What? He’s not just going to run off and tell his father.” Hermione regretted the words as soon as they escaped her lips. “I’m sorry, that was unkind.” 

Theo pressed his hand against her thigh under the table. “It’s okay, Hermione. I know you’re used to being on the defensive around him, but he’s a much different person than he was when we were kids.” 

Her teeth found her bottom lip as Draco made his way back to their table, an open bottle of something red in his hand, “I’m starting to see that.” 

“Starting to see what?” Draco asked, pouring a taste of the dark red wine into one of the glasses and swirling it around to aerate it before tasting it. 

“That you’ve changed.” 

He nodded, setting his own glass back on the table and pouring a measure of wine into Hermione’s glass first before doing the same to Theo’s and then his own. “Thank you.” 

“How are you feeling, Hermione?” Theo asked. 

Retrieving her glass from the table, Hermione lifted it to her lips and took a slow sip of the wine. “Oh, um… I’m okay,” she said, replacing the glass on the table. “I just wasn’t expecting everything that happened.” 

Draco leaned back in his chair in an air of repose, wine glass perched between his fingers as he swirled the liquid around the bell of the glass. “Don’t fret, love. Luna likes to push my father and Severus to see exactly how much she can get away with. Has done for ages now, really,” he said, watching the liquid in the glass as it settled when he stopped moving it. “She knew exactly what would happen if you were caught.” 

“I just hope she isn’t hurt too badly,” Hermione murmured. 

Theo straightened, leaning toward Hermione. His thumb stroked the curve of her wrist as his other arm came to rest along the table in front of her. Draco’s free hand found Theo’s as Theo spoke, fingers entwining. “I want you to listen carefully, Hermione.” Theo began, “While I cannot imagine it was a pleasant experience, Luna came to no harm. Spankings are meant to correct a behavior.”

“I know, I just…” Hermione shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts from her mind. “About what I overheard…” she trailed off, unsure of how exactly to ask what she wanted to. 

Draco glanced at Theo, “We wanted to bring it up with you instead of you overhearing, but I meant everything I said.” 

Theo gently turned Hermione’s head to look at him before he took her hand again, rubbing slow, calming circles over her pulse point. “There are different names for it in the magical and muggle words, but we’d like you to be ours and for us to be yours.”

“The three of us,” Hermione said. The room seemed to grow warmer at the mere thought of entering into any kind of relationship with one person, let alone two. Since the end of the war, she’d tried a few times but there was always something missing. She never felt like she could be herself and Merlin forbid anyone find out about her stuffed animals, coloring pages, and frilly dresses. She liked to be little, never mind that she needed that simple release from the demands of the world periodically. But these two, they already knew and not only that, but they accepted her, cared for her even. 

“The three of us,” Draco affirmed. “We care about you, Granger… and we want to take care of you.” 

A thick bubble of emotion welled in Hermione’s throat. “B-but, I… I don’t… I’m not...” Her eyes fluttered closed and she drew a deep breath, her voice growing quiet as she spoke. “I’m not always Hermione and I’m not always Mia. Who -” 

“All of you,” Theo said, cutting her off as he pressed his hand against her cheek. “Everything you are is exactly what we want.”

Draco brushed Hermione’s curls behind her ear as she leaned into Theo’s touch. “We know it’ll take time, Granger, and we’re fine to take things slow - go on dates, have dinner, the works,” he said, leaning closer to her until his lips rested along the helix of her ear. “But we’ll be there day in and day out to argue with you about the stupid laws the Wizengamot is passing,” 

Hermione laughed.

“And to tuck you in at night,” Draco finished. 

Theo pressed his lips against her forehead, remembering what Lucius had told them earlier that day. “You don’t have to make a decision right now, if you need time. We’re not going anywhere.” 

“It sounds too good to be true,” Hermione said, quietly. 

Theo and Draco shared a glance and identical grins. “It’s true.” 

Hermione laughed, eyes popping open as she reached for her wine glass. As she brought it to her lips, Theo pulled a small box from his pocket and enlarged it with his wand. 

“What’s that?” she asked, placing the glass back down on the table. 

She felt Draco’s arm curl around her shoulder as Theo opened the small white box. Nestled on a bed of dark emerald silk was a thin bronzed cuff. “It’s beautiful,” Hermione said, reaching out with tentative fingers to touch the delicate metal. 

As she removed the bracelet from the box, a set of intricate engravings caught her eye. 

“Oh,” the tumble of sound escaped her lips, a set of intricate engravings catching her eye as she removed the bracelet from the box. The small, playful otter was nestled between a regal dragon with outstretched wings and a powerful snake, his tail curved protectively around the other two.

It was them. 

How long had Theo had this? The craftsmanship was exquisite and judging by the level of detail, this piece wasn’t something that could have been made on short notice. It had clearly been made with care and careful planning. 

The events of the past few days came hurtling through her mind. Theo inviting Draco through her floo when he could have just as easily met them at the restaurant. The tantrum she’d thrown with Harry and Theo turning up to help soothe her. The letter from Luna inviting her to Malfoy Manor. Theo and Draco turning up the next morning to make sure she was okay. Running through the halls with Luna. 

_ The sun sort of rises and sets with her, in our eyes. _

She wanted to be cross, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be angry with them. Realizing now that everything that happened over the past few days was an elaborate set-up to get them to this point, made her insides go a bit wibbly-wobbly and her mind felt clear for the first time in days. 

“Like I said, if you need time…” 

“I don’t.” Hermione cut him off, finding that bit of Gryffindor courage that seemed to have been hiding since the end of the war. “I want this,” she said, “I want to try this with you,” she looked at Theo and then to Draco, “with both of you.” 

She held the bracelet out to Draco with a marked air of intentionality as their eyes met. “I’m trusting you.” 

“I won’t let you down,” he replied, turning the delicate band over in his hands. 

“If you accept this bracelet, Hermione,” Theo said, his voice filled with cautious emotion as though he was afraid everything would all be for naught. “You’re accepting us.”

With a nod, Hermione presented her wrist to Draco. “Help me, please.” 

After carefully fitting the bracelet to Hermione’s wrist, Draco and Theo touched the tips of their wands to the thin cuff. With a quiet, but firmly stated spell, the two ends of the bracelet joined together creating a seamless band of burnished metal. 

Hermione’s stomach chose that moment to rumble with hunger. 

“Let’s get you fed, princess.” Draco laughed, lazily flicking his wand a series of runes near the door leading out into the main dining area while Theo topped off their glasses of wine. 

Hermione beamed, feeling lighter than she had in ages. 

“Thank Circe, I’m starved.”


	6. The Lake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alpha love to Thorne and Rose! We love you!

The past few weeks had flown by in a dizzying haze. Hermione, Theo, and Draco had developed something of a routine. Theo popped by each morning and to wake Hermione up with sweet kisses and breakfast and Draco came by in the evenings for a bedtime story and to tuck her in. Never in her life would she have thought she’d enjoy listening to Draco read from her arithmancy journals or her books of faery tales, but his slow, quiet way of drawing out each syllable made her relax in a way she couldn’t describe. It was much the same with Theo as it had always been, though he was much more open in his affections as though he couldn’t get enough of her and needed to run his fingers through her curls and press soft kisses to her shoulder to make sure everything was real.

Just like they’d promised, they were taking it slow. She went on dates with either of them to the cinema, the cafe down the road, or even just to walk around the park. It quickly became apparent that their schedules didn’t always align, but she was content to spend time with them one-on-one. Sweet kisses were exchanged and cuddles were had in front of the telly or in her bed during their morning and evening routines. 

They never pushed her for more than she was willing to give. 

Hermione felt healthier for their care. The nightmares that plagued her at least twice per week were almost non-existent. She felt more comfortable in her own skin and didn’t have to worry if either of them came over while she was reading a potions journal on the sofa or coloring in her pile of stuffies. They accepted all of her facets and polished each one so she shone like she was a precious jewel. 

But she wanted more. 

Just the sight of Theo’s eyes or the tone of Draco’s voice could ignite a heat low in her belly. And gods did she want them to touch her, to taste her, to break her apart only to put her back together again. 

It was how she found herself on the sofa with Draco’s body covering hers and her hand desperately wandering south in search of the hardness she knew lay beneath the thick denim of his trousers. He kissed her in a soft, unhurried way that both managed to leave her breathless and wanting. Lips pillowed against hers and tongues explored tentatively as his fingers gently carded through her curls. 

Her fingers swept over his back and between their bodies to find him hard and thick against her palm. Even with his trousers in the way, she could feel the heat of him in her hand as she squeezed, fingers curling around his cock. 

His hand tightened in her curls and his hips thrust forward, a low moan falling from his lips. The sweet pleasure-pain of his fingers gripping her curls sent her spiraling and her back arched, pressing her body firmly against his chest. 

“Oh fuck,” the curse tumbled out of his mouth as she squeezed her hand around him again. 

His hand left her hair to tug her hand away, only to pin it above her head as he shifted forward so his hips were cradled in her thighs. She could feel his cock pressing against her center through the thin fabric of her knickers and her soft, cotton skirt. 

“Please,” she whispered as he thrust forward, grinding against her and sending a delightful shockwave coursing through her. His mouth swallowed her moan as he kissed her, hard - so unlike those they had shared up to this point. 

He had been holding back. 

Anchoring her feet into the sofa, Hermione lifted her hips to meet his shallow thrusts. Each movement caused the heat in her belly to ignite as her clit was pressed against him through the layers of fabric. She needed more. 

The clearing of a throat brought Hermione out of her reverie. Draco’s hips stilled and she whimpered from the loss even as she turned her head to find Theo standing near the hearth with a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. 

“Did plans change?” He asked, crossing the short space to perch himself on the arm of the sofa. 

Draco released Hermione’s hands and sat back, smoothing her skirt back down over her legs as she pouted. Kneeling on the sofa, he met Theo’s mouth in greeting with a lingering kiss. 

“No, we were merely waiting for you,” Draco said, straightening his own clothing. 

“Are we going somewhere?” Hermione asked, rising from the sofa and shaking out her skirt so it fell neatly to just past her knees. 

“You’ll see.”

Wrapping his arms around Hermione, Theo apparted them to the back lawns of the home he and Draco shared. He held her for a moment after they popped back into existence, relishing in how the tiny witch felt with her curves molded against his body. Kissing the top of her head, he released her and Draco took her by the hand.

They meandered through the gardens, making small talk. Hermione stopped every so often to gush over this plant or that flower that by the time they emerged from the gardens, she had gathered a small fragrant bouquet.

“Where are we going, anyway?” she asked, nose pressed against a gardenia blossom.

“There’s an island in the middle of the lake on the property. We thought we’d take you there.” Draco said, his lips curling in a smirk when Hermione’s mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide. 

When she heard Theo chuckle, she rolled her eyes and tilted her head towards him. “You have a lake? With an island?” 

“More of a pond, really. Draco likes to exaggerate a bit. But there is a lovely island in the center of it.” 

The two men on either side of her began to laugh outright when they heard Hermione mumble about stupid, rich wizards and their need to own everything under the sun. 

They walked the rest of the way across the grounds with Theo’s arm around Hermione’s shoulder and Hermione’s hand in Draco’s until the small lake on the property came into view. The edge of a forest curved around the back edge of the lake and fruit bearing trees were scattered sparsely to sides from where they approached. There were boulders and other large rocks dotting the landscape as it changed from grass to a somewhat sandy and rocky beach. 

“Am I to understand we’ll be swimming to the island, gentlemen?” Hermione quipped, pointing out across the water with her flowers, “After all, you said we couldn’t apparate this far from the manor.” 

An almost identical smirk slid across their mouths as Draco and Theo shared a look between them. With a wave of Draco's wand, one of the boulders vanished and in its place was a small rowboat. 

“So, we’ll be using magical propulsion, then.” Hermione said, taking a few steps towards the rowboat, Theo and Draco at her back. When she got close enough to see the inside of the boat, a wave of confusion washed over her. “Why are there oars?”

Draco rolled the sleeves of his oxford over his forearms and dropped to a crouch. His hands settled on the polished wood and he pushed the boat forward and into the lake. “Contrary to popular belief, Granger, we don’t use magic for everything.” When the boat sat halfway in the water, Draco removed the oars. “Theodore and I row, amongst other things, to keep fit.” 

“Ha! You expe…” Hermione’s voice was as good as gone when the toned back of Theodore Nott came into her vision. He’d removed his shirt and tossed it into the boat and when he turned the serpent tattoo she’d been tracing with her eyes curved around his back and over his shoulder. She knew he was strong, he’d picked her up on multiple occasions and it wasn’t like she was a completely dainty flower, but seeing the muscles flexing beneath his tanned skin made her mouth water. 

"Close your mouth, Granger, someone might take advantage," Draco whispered in her ear, his arms wrapping around her waist from behind. She snapped her mouth shut but it was a futile measure at best since it popped back open again in a rounded moan as Draco nipped at her ear before his lips trailed down her neck.

Hermione felt Theo at her front and she leaned forward instinctively, her head coming to rest on his bare chest while her arms encircled his waist. When she opened her eyes, she was met with the absolutely delectable image of her two wizards locked at the lips above her. Theo’s hand was curved around the back of Draco’s head while his other hand rested on her hip. Draco pulled one of his arms from around Hermione’s waist to press against Theo’s back, hand splayed along his spine. 

Hermione could watch them snog all day, if given the opportunity. The sight of these two wizards sharing what appeared to be a rather passionate kiss made Hermione’s cheeks color and caused all manner of lurid thoughts of what would happen if they were all to just suddenly lose their clothing flit through her brain.

The spell was poised on the tip of her tongue when Theo and Draco finally separated, at the lips, though their foreheads were pressed together in a display of intimacy that nearly made Hermione swoon. 

If she could have told her fourteen year old self that one day instead of punching Draco Malfoy she’d be dating him, she would’ve hexed herself. And Theo? She’d barely interacted with the quiet boy at school and didn’t really even get to know him until they ended up working in the same Creature Rights department of the ministry. And yet, there was something about these two beautiful souls that set her world to rights. 

Gods, how did she get so lucky? 

“We should get going,” Theo said, the sound of his voice pulling Hermione from her thoughts. She felt the loss of their presence keenly and wasn’t even sure she wanted to do whatever they had planned now. She’d be perfectly content to stay on the shore and let them kiss her into oblivion. 

Draco flourished his arm in a cocky little bow, “Into the boat, my lady.” 

“Excuse me?” Hermione snickered, wide eyes and raised brows peeking out from over the top of where she hid in her face in the small bouquet of flowers.

Theo smacked her backside lightly, leaning in close to her ear. "Get in the damn boat before I turn you over my knee, Hermione."

The way he drew out each syllable in her name sent a shockwave coursing through her and she swallowed audibly, a quiet “yes, sir” escaping her lips before she could stop the tumble of sound. 

She missed the surprised glance exchanged between the two wizards.

Pushing the boat fully into the water, Theo stepped in first and held out his hands while Draco’s grip on her hips ensured she made it safely into the small vessel. Hermione set the bouquet to the side and Draco settled in behind her as Theo hooked the oars into the oarlocks. 

As Theo rowed them towards the small island, Hermione closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of nature surrounding them. Draco’s fingers traced her arms in delicate patterns that reminded her of the ancient runes they studied in school until he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin against her shoulder. 

As they neared the island, Hermione leaned to the side and dipped her fingers into the cool water, watching the patterns her fingertips made as they moved. 

She was started when Draco pulled her arm back, 

“You don’t know what’s in the water, Granger!” Draco looked absolutely horrified that she had dared to touch the lake water. “There could be anything down there just waiting to bite your fingers off.” 

Theo was openly chuckling as he attempted to explain. “Draco won’t swim or touch water that might possibly contain wildlife.” 

Hermione couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, Draco, it’s just a lake,” she said, tilting her head to press a kiss to his jaw. “I’m sure there’s nothing down there but small fish and maybe a turtle or two. Calm down, alright?” 

Twisting her body, Hermione wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. She stayed in the comfort of his embrace until she felt the boat bump into the small dock on the shore of the island. Centered between two very large pine trees was a two story cabin made of wooden logs with opaque glass windows and a large, ancient looking lock on the door. 

After Theo secured the ropes to the dock, he tossed his t-shirt over his shoulder and took the shrunken picnic basket from Draco as the blond wizard helped Hermione out of the boat. Theo remained on the dock to enlarge the picnic basket as Draco and Hermione walked the short distance to the shore. 

When Hermione gave him a questioning look, Theo explained, “Magic doesn’t work on the island. He shrugged, “Never has.” 

"That's really interesting, I wonder why." Hermione muttered, looking up towards the trees as Draco and Theo spread a blanket out a ways back from the shore. 

Theo sighed, knowing his witch wouldn’t be content without further explanation. He passed the picnic basket to Draco and took Hermione by the hand. “Wards were put up centuries ago and so far, no one has been able to break them.” Theo gestured to the cabin, “That used to be an old asylum for witches who went mad. I suspect it’s enlarged on the inside, but we’ve never made a point to even try to enter it, nor do we stay past sunset. It’s one reason why the land was so cheap.” 

"By ‘go mad,’ you mean?" Hermione questioned, her voice soft as she stared at the iron padlock on the door. 

“Oh, you know,” Draco said, with an exaggerated flourish of his hand. “Wandering womb, jealousy, masturbation. Even novel reading was considered grounds to send your wife, daughter, or maiden aunt to an asylum.”

“That’s terrible,” Hermione frowned. 

“Indeed. You would’ve been sent straight off just for reading,” Draco quipped. 

Hermione laughed. “Yes, yes, lifetime patient,” she muttered with a grin before sinking down on the blanket next to Draco. “What’s for lunch? I’m half-starved.” 

Theo opened the basket and began pulling items out, setting them onto the blanket with care. “Mostly finger foods… strawberries, grapes, cheese and crackers. Oh! There’s even fairy cakes.” 

Draco’s eyes settled on Theo after a quick glance down at Hermione. "Theo loves fairy cakes. Not sure how no one ever guessed he would be half fairy." 

Draco winked with a cheeky grin. 

Fairy cake in hand, Theo jumped up from the blanket and walked towards Draco, purpose in his step, as Draco backed away, hands held out placatingly. “This is a new shirt, Theo.”

“Shouldn’t have called me half fairy, you twat.” Theo grinned and took off in a sprint intent to shove the fairy cake in his face. 

Hermione watched the scene in wonder as they chased each other like a couple of puppies around the beach, giggling to herself and pulling off her shoes. She set them neatly aside and pulled her purple cotton shirt over her head before shimmying out of her skirt, leaving her in only her undergarments. Her wand was strapped to her thigh in a thin holster made of delicate, white dragonhide. 

She twisted her thick hair into a tight bun on the top of her head and secured it with an elastic from around her wrist as Draco and Theo began walking back toward their picnic. The remnants of the fairy cake could be seen littering Draco’s shirt and his face held just a smidge of icing. 

“What are you doing, Granger?” Draco asked as they neared, giving Theo’s hand a squeeze. 

"I want to go for a swim before we eat - just a quick one. The water looks really refreshing." Hermione said as she dug her toes into the warm rocky sand. “The weather won't be nice much longer and I’d like to take advantage of it.” 

Before Theo or Draco could make a grab for her the brunette was in the water, having run down the beach and jumped off of the pier with a splash. She went under for a moment before breaking the surface.

“There’s a drop off just there.” She laughed loudly and pointed to a space not far away before swimming towards the beach a bit. Treading the water, she smiled at the two wizards on the beach who hadn’t taken their eyes off of her. 

“I promise I’m fine,” she half-shouted. “Why don’t you get lunch ready?” 

Theo nodded and turned but Draco watched her for a moment more, his brows creased. He’d never set foot into the Black Lake on the grounds of Hogwarts, there were simply too many magical creatures and plants for him to feel safe. He’d swim laps around an indoor pool all day long but there was something about water with wildlife that didn’t sit well with him. 

Reluctantly, he turned around to help Theo. She seemed to be a decent swimmer and if something happened to her, he wouldn’t think twice before diving into the creature infested water, but Theo could swim just as well, if not better, than he could and Theo had no qualms about such things. 

As the thought crossed his mind, a startled yelp filled the quiet space followed by the splash of water. When he turned, he saw her at the surface, though obviously shaken.

“S-something grabbed my -” she yelled before she was pulled under the water and out of their sight. 

“Fuck!” Theo shouted, sprinting towards the shore and discarding his shoes haphazardly. Draco followed closely behind, doing the same just as Hermione broke through the surface once more. She was above the water long enough to take a large gulp of air before she was ripped from their sight once more. 

Hermione felt something wrap around her leg as she was pulled through the cool water, much deeper than before. Her ears began to pop until she felt the wet, mucky sand of the lake beneath her feet. She reached for her wand but before she could grab it, a thick vine wrapped around her forearm and yanked her into the muck. 

She struggled under the water, trying to conserve her breath as she fought against the tendrils and vines of whatever semi-sentient plant was holding her down. Stars began to cloud her vision and she struggled for consciousness, fighting the urge to take a breath, knowing only water would fill her lungs. 

A bright flash of blue light cut through her vision followed quickly by Theo. He cast a bubble-head charm around her before severing the remaining vines wrapping around her torso and arms. She breathed in deeply and coughed and sputtered, gulping the air in quick breaths as Theo grabbed her waist and propelled them to the surface. 

When they finally broke through the water, Theo cancelled the breathing charms and passed Hermione to Draco, who was waiting on the short pier before hauling himself out of the water. When he finally caught his breath, Theo crossed the short distance to where Draco had Hermione wrapped in his arms at the end of the pier. He smoothed her hair away from her face as she sobbed into Draco’s chest. 

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Daddy! P-please don't be angry with me!" Hermione pleaded, her voice hoarse and her body shaking with the force of her sobs.

“Shh, princess,” Draco cooed against her wet hair, his arms wrapped tightly around her, “It’s okay.”

Hermione shook her head, struggling to breathe through her panic. “N-n-no, it’s not. I-I didn’t listen.”

“We’ll talk about it when you’re calm, baby girl.” Theo said, struggling to keep his voice level as he examined the bright red welts wrapping around her arms, legs, and torso. They needed to get her back to the manor within the next hour or two as neither he nor Draco had thought to bring any potions or salves with them. If there was one silver lining to this entire ordeal, it was that she didn’t seem bothered by them.

Theo was shaken to his core, but he couldn’t fall apart right now - not while Hermione was as distressed as she was. The blood was drained from Draco’s face and Theo knew Draco must be feeling the same way. They’d nearly lost her. It was the single most terrifying moment of his entire life and if he didn’t know how he felt about Hermione, he certainly did now. 

“Deep breaths, love,” Theo reminded her, drawing slow circles over her back with his palm. “That’s it.”

“There’s an extra blanket in the basket, yeah?” Draco asked.

Theo nodded, “I’ll take her.” 

With a moment of careful maneuvering, Hermione was shifted from Draco’s arms to Theo’s so Draco could fetch the blanket from where they’d set up their picnic. Tears still fell from Hermione’s eyes but her breathing had slowed and she felt boneless in his arms. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she whispered. 

Theo drew gentle patterns over her back with the tips of his fingers. “I know you are, baby girl.”

When Draco returned he draped the blanket around Theo and Hermione, shrouding them in a cocoon of warmth. He settled next to them on the pier and rested his head against Theo’s shoulder, reaching out to brush his knuckles against Hermione’s cheeks. 

“I brought you a present, princess,” he whispered conspiratorially with an arm behind his back and a soft smile on his still pale face. Theo had forgotten Draco even brought it with them, but the thought made him smile through the worry creasing his features. 

Hermione’s eyes lifted slowly and she sniffled as she met Draco’s gaze. “A present?” she asked, a light blush lighting her cheeks. “C-can I have it, please?”

Draco tapped her on the nose. “Close your eyes, Mia.”

Hermione did as she was told, squinching her face up dramatically. When she felt the tickle of fur along her cheek, her eyes popped open and she was greeted with the sight of a plush, chocolate brown otter wearing a green collar with a silver tag. 

Hermione grinned widely and reached for the little stuffed animal. Theo shared a glance with Draco in a non-verbal gesture of gratitude for distracting their witch as she shifted out of his lap and back into Draco’s, throwing her arms around him in a hug. 

“He is so fluffy! Thank you, Daddy.” she said, pressing a sloppy kiss to Draco’s cheek. “You’re the softest out of everyone, aren’t you Hydrus?” she cooed, looking pointedly into the stuffed otter’s face. 

Draco chuckled and wrapped his arms tightly around her, “You like him, then?” he asked, knowing full well what her answer would be. 

“I love him.”

Draco needed to hear the words, needed the validation that they had moved past their days at Hogwarts and everything that went wrong in the war. He’d been as terrified today as he had been the day she turned up with Potter and Weasley over the Easter Holidays and he was forced to watch her body shudder and writhe on the floor of his drawing room. 

Theo was like water. His currents ran strong and he possessed an undeniable fluidity and adaptability. Granger, however, was like fire. She warmed his blood and lit the dark nights and could morph with only the slightest puff of air from a childlike flame to a roaring inferno. Draco was the earth, able to still the water and temper the fire but was heavily impacted by their presence. 

“Daddy?” Hermione’s voice broke through Draco’s thoughts and his arms instinctively tightened around her. She wiggled in his lap and he loosed his grip, Theo covering her once more with the blanket, the warm summer sun having dried most of the water from his body, leaving his clothing damp. 

“Yes, princess?” 

“My tummy is growling.” 

Draco laughed, “Let’s get you fed then.” 


End file.
